Ozymandias

• What does the phrase "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" signify in Ozymandias?

  The king's arrogance is mocked by decay
• How does irony function in the line about the king's works?

  The crumbled works make the statement meaningless
• What theme do Romantic poets like Shelley often criticize?

  The arrogance of power and human achievements
• What do the "two vast and trunkless legs of stone" symbolize?

  The impermanence of human endeavors
• How does imagery enhance the theme of decay in Ozymandias?

  The decayed statue contrasts with the empty desert
• What inspired Shelley to reflect on the fall of powerful civilizations?

  The discovery of ancient Egyptian ruins
• What does the line "The lone and level sands stretch far away" convey about nature?

  Nature outlasts human constructions
• What technique is used in the phrase "lone and level" and what does it create?

  Alliteration creates emptiness and finality
• How does Romanticism view the relationship between nature and human ambition?

  It emphasizes nature's power over human ambition
• Who is the author of the poem "Ozymandias"?

  Percy Bysshe Shelley
• What does the poem critique regarding the notion of power?

  It critiques the idea of eternal power through decay
• How does the context of Romanticism influence "Ozymandias"?

  It focuses on transient human achievements
• What does the broken statue metaphorically represent in the poem?

  The inevitable decline of leaders and empires
• What does the vastness of the desert symbolize in "Ozymandias"?

  The insignificance of human accomplishments